Game based on categories of subject matter of playing tiles

ABSTRACT

A game employing a board divided into squares for reception of tiles to be played by drawing tiles from a pile, with images inverted, each tile visibly representing an element of play such as a person or thing classifiable in a category, the objective being to form horizontal or vertical rows of tiles, each row responding to a declared vertical category or declared horizontal category. The game ends when the board is filled or when all tiles have been drawn but no further plays can be made.

United States Patent Herbert, Jr.

[ 1 July 1,1975

1541 GAME BASED ON CATEGORIES OF FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 273/157 R 273/135 B 273/157 R 633,951 12/1949 United Kingdom.......v..... 800,739 9/1958 United Kingdom..,........, 403,597 6/1966 Switzerland.....................

SUBJECT MATTER OF PLAYING TILES [76] Inventor: Charles H. Herbert, Jr., 890 B.

Marshall Blvd, San Bernardino,

Calif. 93404 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Creative Playthings Catalog, 10/6/69, p. 22, Bruna Lotto".

22 Filed: Sept. 23, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 508,227

Primary ExaminerPau1 E. Shapiro Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Huebner & Worrel h c r a M 2 8 3 D3 n. 00 N 3. .mm D pf A0 S d Umm d en o ain Ila GM-D R .m u 9 l [52] US. Cl. 273/135 AC; 273/135 B; 273/156 [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/00 [58] Field ofSearch.....,.v.....,...273/135 [56] References Cited ing an element of play such as a person or thing classifiable in a category, the objective being to form horizontal or vertical rows of tiles, each row responding to a declared vertical category or declared horizontal category. The game ends when the board is filled or when all tiles have been drawn but no further plays can be made.

RRBX DW 775 5 SSBW Jfi W W 77 ZZZMZ H nul 3 nuu H7 W "NW" 2 E m m m m H T MILL A nnm m m "m P mmu B nW lm T emwam Abl un o a T n mm S RPmHsBN m 5 27224 4666774 9999999 NHHHHHH 8573l42 982456 8809 90 3429359 8840353 I 223333D 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEET PATENTEUJUL] m5 STEAM FIG-Z.

EBQAT E60 {77655 ELL E BACKFOU/VD 1 GAME BASED ON CATEGORIES OF SUBJECT MATTER OF PLAYING TILES This application is a continuation in-part of patent application Ser. No. 338,2l4, filed Mar. 5, 1975 now abandoned.

BAGKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various games are known using playing boards and pieces to be moved, or to be placed on the board in some relationship. I am not aware of any prior game which is based on the concept and utilizes the principles of the present game, with its objective, changeable values and functions of playing pieces and point scoring to determine the winner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The equipment for the game requires a playing board, a set of tiles, and preferably a bank of tokens for keeping track of points earned by the players.

The board may be a flat square of chipboard, plastic or any other suitable material, marked into squares of uniform dimension. A total of 49 squares makes a good game, but the number is not critical, and for brevity in description, a small board with l6 squares is depicted in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The size of the squares is optional but should match the size of the tiles.

The tiles are flat square stiff wafers made of chipboard, plastic or any other suitable material, dimensioned so that a tile will occupy a square and include a first and second face. The first face of each tile bears a visible, multicolored element of play thereon, and each element of play preferably includes a plurality of parts. The second face is blank, or at least displays nothing which will identify the element of play depicted on the first face. The size of each tile should be such as to provide area for a clear picture and be convenient for handling. A convenient size is approximately 2% inches, although obviously this may vary.

As indicated, the first face of each tile has a multicolored element of play thereon wherein each element of play includes a plurality of parts. For example, the element of play of the tile in square No. 2 in FIG. 6 com veys the impression of a ship. The various parts being smoke stacks, masts, a hull, water, etc. Similarly, the element of play on the tile in square No. 6 in FIG. 6 conveys the impression of a lawnmower, the various parts including blades, wheels and a handle. As is apparent from the drawings, each part making up the elements of play is defined by lines completely enclosing a two dimensional area and each part includes indicia enclosed within the lines. In some instances the indicia will be lines other than those which enclosed the two dimensional area and in yet other instances the indicia may merely be a specific color enclosed within the area. In other words, the element of play depicted in squares 3 and 4 of FIG. 6 both show horses and it is plainly apparent that one horse is not duplicate of the other and indeed that no part of one horse is duplicate of any part of the other horse. In both of them the horses display manes; however, the two dimensional area enclosed within the lines defining the mane are entirely different in appearance, shape, etc. Likewise, the elements of play of many of the tiles disclose circles or wheels yet no circle or wheel of one tile is duplicate of a circle or wheel of another tile. Particularly is this true when it is considered that each part by definition includes all the material within the two dimensional area of that particular part.

Each element of play visually depicted on the respective tiles is complete in and of itself and requires no other element of play to complete the first face of that tile. In other words, each tile is not a composite of several elements of play and as a whole the various elements of play are non-duplicates of each other.

The elements of play of the various tiles are classifiable in an indefinite number of categories. Each category chosen for play is determined on the optional dec laration of the player drawing the tile and the number of tiles following within a given player determined category is variable.

The bank of tokens may be poker chips, or any small, easily handled countable objects. Scoring also may be done with pencil and paper, but is more cumbersome.

SETTING UP THE GAME 1. Place the board on a table or other flat surface. 2. Place the first face of the tiles face down around or at one side of the board so that all players can reach them. 3. Set up the bank so players can take tokens for points earned.

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME The object of the game is to line up elements of play of the tiles in categories which tiles are drawn from the pile to form horizontal or vertical rows. Each row will be a category containing tiles with elements of play or pictures of persons or things or colors that are alike in one or more ways. Points are won by placing the last tile at either end of a category row or by filling a square next to the intersection of two categories.

RULES OF PLAY l. Players (2-4) decide who will start the game.

There is no advantage to foing first 2. The first player draws a tile and places the tile face up in any square on the playing board.

3. The player to the left chooses a tile and must find something about the element of play or picture on his tile in common with the tile on the board. He then declares the category and places the tile next to the one already on the board. If he cannot name a category common to both tiles, he must pass, keeping the tile for his next turn.

4. Play continues to the left, each player drawing one tile per turn and playing it in a category row.

5. A player may start a new category by changing direction either horizontal or vertical from an existing category row as long as the tile touches only one side to a tile already face up on the board. When changing directions a player must also change category.

6. When two or more sides touch tiles already face up on the board the space filled is called an intersect. Tiles played in an intersect may fill more than one category. Tiles are played face down in an intersect square after the player has declared and shown the tile.

7. Categories extend in a straight line and may go horizontally or vertically but may not go diagonally or at angles.

8. Play is ended when the last square on the board has been filled or when no further plays may be made although all tiles have been drawn.

SCORING Points may be earned:

1. By completing either end of a category at the side of the board. One point is earned for each tile played at either end of a category row.

2. By filling a square at the intersection of two or more category rows. If the tile in the intersect fills the category of one of the adjacent tiles, one point is earned. If it fills two adjacent categories, two points are earned and so on for as many categories that are represented by tiles adjacent to the intersect square.

3, One point also may be earned by ending a category row against the face down tile of an intersect square.

4. One point is deducted from a players score for each tile he has at the end of the game.

5. The player having the most points wins the game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game playing board containing 49 squares, a collection of tiles l6, and a bank of scoring tokens 17. This figure shows the first tile 18 played, the player in this case choosing the center square.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view ofa tile with art work of the general character preferred, and shaded for color.

FIG, 3 is a reduced plan view ofa tile comparable in subject matter and category to the tile of FIG. 2, but generally schematic in nature with some details omitted, also shaded for color. FIG. 4 is a plan view of another form of tile printed and with words and background shaded for color.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a third form of tile printed in black and bearing a legend to identify color.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a game board of sixteen squares with tiles played thereon, in the sequence and with the effect subsequently described; and the figure also displays tiles drawn but not played.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION AND METHOD OF PLAY The preferred form of the invention will be exemplified by describing the course of a game arbitrarily selected for illustration of the principles.

Referring to FIG. 6, Player A selects a tile, turns it up, reveals a bicycle or element of play having a plurality of parts such as wheels, seat, handlebars, etc., and plays the tile in square 6. [The squares may, but need not be numbered on the actual game board, but are given dotted line numbers in FIG. 6 for convenience in following the description of the play.] The bicycle may show several colors, but in the drawings the cicycle is lined to indicate only green, red and blue. The bicycle, and other category subjects, preferably embody artistic details as, for example, in FIG. 2, not necessary to be shown in the drawings in order to understand the game.

Player B draws a tile which depicts an airplane which also shows the colors green, red and blue. However, he declares the category to be means of transportation, vertical, and plays the tile in square I0.

Player C's tile turns out to be a red, white and blue ship picture. He follows the vertical category of means of transportation and plays the tile in square 2. This is one end of a category row, and he scores 1 point.

Player Ds tile shows a yellow sailboat which he plays in square I4. This completion of a category row gives him one point.

The foregoing play sequence is intentionally simplified. In actual play, the sequence of development will ordinarily be interrupted with numerous other category plays, especially when a larger board and more tiles are used.

Returning now to Player A, the tile he draws is a brown dog 20 (FIG. 6). He cannot match a tile now on the board in any category of person, thing, or color, so he is forced to retain the tile. He must pass.

Player B draws a red lawnmower on a green background. He declares the color green as the category, horizontal, and plays it in square 5 (adjacent the green of the bicycle). This earns him 1 point being the end of a category row.

Player C draws a bunch of red and green radishes and plays it for green in square 7 on the right side of the bicycle. This, of course, disposes of his tile, but gives him no points.

Player D draws a river boat (FIGS. 2 or 3) with green islands and hills. He plays this in square 9 and reaps two points. They result from a two category intersect, means of transportation for one, (next to the airplane), the color green for another, (next to the green under the lawnmower). This tile after being shown, is placed face down. For the purposes of this description, and reference to the game development, the drawing outlines a face down, intersect tile, in heavy lines. The heavy border lines are to be interpreted as a face down tile.

We are back to Player A. He has no place to play his brown dog 20, so he draws. This time he gets a brown horse facing left. He declares the horse a means of transportation and plays the tile face down in the intersect square 3 formed by the tiles in squares 2 and '7. He collects only one point since he could not satisfy the green category of tile 7.

Player B draws a red horse, facing right, but, being unable to attach it to an existing category or to start a new category in a new direction, Player B is forced to pass and retain the tile. The tile is shown in square 4 because it will be played later in the game.

Player C draws a railroad track with brown ties and adjoining green foliage. He plays this in square I, which is an intersect, completing the horizontal row in the category of means of transportation, and the upper end of the vertical green category. He gets two points for the intersect.

Player D draws a red cherry with green leaves, which he plays as a horizontal color green category in square 8. He gains one point for completing one end of the category.

Player A still cannot use his brown dog 20 so he draws a brown sandbox 22 which could be declared in the category of recreation. There is no square open where he could start such a category. He must pass, and keep the tile.

Play continues, Player B placing a tractor in square I3 declaring the horizontal category of carriers (I point).

Player C turns up a green bus which he plays as a 2 point intersect in square 11, inverting it, (green and means of transportion).

Player D places a red and blue tow truck in square 12, declaring a vertical category of red. He is not allowed to continue the categories of the face down intersect. Square 12 is not the end of a vertical row, so he earns no point.

Player A draws and puts an ocean liner in square 15, following the horizontal category of carriers, disposing of his tile but collecting no points.

Player 8 now sees the opportunity to play the red horse he holds; instead of drawing a new tile, he plays the red horse in square 4 as part of the vertical category red. Since the tile is placed at one end of the category, he earns one point.

Player C draws a fire truck and plays it in square l6 in the intersect of the categories red and carriers for two points.

The game terminates since the gameboard is full. The game would also have ended if all tiles had been drawn and no player could make a play on playable open squares. Play continues until: 1 all squares are filled, or 2 all tiles have been drawn and no player can make a play.

The remaining formality is to count the tokens earned for points made during play, and to return a token for each tile a player has drawn but not been able to play.

The handsaw 23 in FIG. 6 is another example of a category, such as tools, not used in play. This tile remains unplayed since the game was terminated by fill ing all squares.

The use of a full size board with 49 squares enables more categories to be declared and played. There should be a surplus of tiles, preferably a total of about 60, and the subject matter of each chosen for applicability to more than one category. There should be a plurality of categories represented. A set for children would contain relatively simple subjects; there would be a general, more complicated set for adults, and sets may be made up of sophisticated scientific or technical material for some classes of players In all cases category is the key to the play.

SECOND FORM OF THE INVENTION In lieu of art work on the face of the tiles, printed lettering may be substituted. This is less attractive but would provide a less expensive game which would be played by the same rules. The printing could be in color or in black.

For example, the tile in square 2 of the board shown in FIG. 6, instead of a picture. could display the words Steam Boat. with letters on a blue background, as seen in FIG. 4; or the words Steam Boat" in black ink, with the legend Red Letters Blue Background", as illustrated in FIG 5. Similar adaption could be used for all the cards. The use of ink of different colors would be preferable.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practi cal and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention including adaptations to other media such as television.

I claim:

(all

I. A game comprising the combination of:

a single playing board for use by a plurality of players, said board being marked into a plurality of equal size squares defining parallel rows of squares extending normal to each other, said board having no other indicia for playing the game imprinted thereon;

a set of tiles each having an external dimension complementary with a single square of said board and adapted to be placed as a single and complete entity on one of said squares, the number of said tiles being at least equal to the number of squares, each of said tiles having a first and second face, said first face of each tile having a multi-colored element of play thereon, each element of play including a plurality of parts, each part being defined by lines completely enclosing a two dimensional area, each part including indicia enclosed within said two dimensional area, no part of the element of play of one tile being duplicative of any part ofthe element of play of any other tile, each element of play being complete in and of itself and requiring no other element of play to complete said first face, the elements of play of said tiles being classifiable in an infinte number of categories, the collective ele ments of play on the tiles being non duplicates of each other creating the infinite number of categories, each category chosen for play being determined at the optional declaration of a player drawing a tile, said second face of each of said tiles being devoid of any identifying relationship to the subject element of play on the first face. the number of said set of tiles falling within a given player determined category being variable;

said set of tiles at the start of play being played from a position where said first face is face down and the first player selects a tile at random, exposes said elements of play and plays the tile in any square of the playing board he chooses, and each succeeding player in turn selects at random a face down tile ex poses the element of play and if that element on the selected tile may be construed to represent a category shown by a tile previously played and declared and there is an open square horizontally or vertically contiguous to the last mentioned tile or tiles the player may place his tile in one of said contiguous horizontal or vertical squares, provided the play made progresses or completes a row of tiles in said same declared category, or in the alternative if the element of play on the tile selected by the succeeding player or players is representative of a new category which may be related to the element of play on a previously played tile it may at the option of the player be declared and played adjacent to the tile in the category previously established on the board so long as the positioning of the tile on the board adjacent to a previously established category establishes a different horizontal or vertical direction from said previously established category.

2. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said element of play is a pictorial illustration.

3. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said element of play is a word. 

1. A game comprising the combination of: a single playing board for use by a plurality of players, said board being marked into a plurality of equal size squares defining parallel rows of squares extending normal to each other, said board having no other indicia for playing the game imprinted thereon; a set of tiles each having an external dimension complementary with a single square of said board and adapted to be placed as a single and complete entity on one of said squares, the number of said tiles being at least equal to the number of squares, each of said tiles having a first and second face, said first face of each tile having a multi-colored element of play thereon, each element of play including a plurality of parts, each part being defined by lines completely enclosing a two dimensional area, each part including indicia enclosed within said two dimensional area, no part of the element of play of one tile being duplicative of any part of the element of play of any other tile, each element of play being complete in and of itself and requiring no other element of play to complete said first face, the elements of play of said tiles being classifiable in an infinte number of categories, the collective elements of play on the tiles being non-duplicates of each other creating the infinite number of categories, each category chosen for play being determined at the optional declaration of a player drawing a tile, said second face of each of said tiles being devoid of any identifying relationship to the subject element of play on the first face, the number of said set of tiles falling within a given player determined category being variable; said set of tiles at the start of play being played from a position where said first face is face down and the first player selects a tile at random, exposes said elements of play and plays the tile in any square of the playing board he chooses, and each succeeding player in turn selects at random a face down tile exposes the element of play and if that element on the selected tile may be construed to represent a category shown by a tile previously played and declared and there is an open square horizontally or vertically contiguous to the last mentioned tile or tiles the player may place his tile in one of said contiguous horizontal or vertical squares, provided the play made progresses or completes a row of tiles in said same declared category, or in the alternative if the element of play on the tile selected by the succeeding player or players is representative of a new category which may be related to the element of play on a previously played tile it may at the option of the player be declared and played adjacent to the tile in the category previously established on the Board so long as the positioning of the tile on the board adjacent to a previously established category establishes a different horizontal or vertical direction from said previously established category.
 2. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said element of play is a pictorial illustration.
 3. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said element of play is a word. 